The present invention generally relates to medical device interfacing. In particular, the present invention relates to systems, apparatus, and methods for medical device interface overlays.
Many medical devices include touchscreen displays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with touchpads. The touchpads or other touchscreen are programmed to display certain options and generate a programmable callback in respect to a user touching a programmed shape on the interface. Callbacks are sent to the host computer through a universal serial bus (USB) and/or other conventional interface. Thus, a graphical user interface (GUI) can be configured with a touchscreen to receive user input. However, the GUI interfaces lack feedback and tactile sensation for “blind” key location and require visual distraction from a user task at hand to locate and select an interface option.
For example, diagnostic imaging equipment provides information regarding human anatomy and functional performance presented via a large number of images in two- and three-dimensional interpretation. Diligent interpretation of these images requires following of a strict workflow; and each step of the workflow presumes presentation of an image on the screen in a certain order of a certain image series from one or more exams, along with application of certain tools for manipulation of the images (e.g., image scrolling, brightness/contrast, linear and area measurements, etc.). Diagnostic reading software provides options for image manipulation and tooling, such as on-screen menus, toolbars, mouse clicks, and keyboard shortcuts. Graphical on-screen options require a defocusing of a user's gaze from the diagnostic image content to search for the proper graphical element, which is often located in remote location on the screen or even on another computer monitor. Similarly, selection of few applicable shortcut keys (e.g., 8-10) out of 104 standard keyboard keys also requires substantial distraction from analyzed visual content.
Thus, certain medical devices provide controls on a dedicated keypad with a limited number of keys arranged in ergonomic geometry for blind finger location (similar to blind locating of keys on a piano or strings on a guitar), shape (such as discerning between “white” and “black” keys on the piano), and texture (such as “-” shaped bumps on “F” and “J” keys on a computer keyboard to identify the home row). The specialized keyboard has a unique dedication to a certain application to optimize key functionality, position, shape and texture for the purpose of that particular application and associated workflow. Therefore, development and production of dedicated keyboards is limited to a narrow application and does not benefit from any “economy of scale” through mass production and wide application. Additionally, rapid changes in clinical technologies and methods result in corresponding rapid changes in clinical workflow, which require modification of the keyboard. While frequently redesigning keyboard and/or other clinical interfaces quickly becomes cost prohibitive, keeping the keyboard unchanged substantially impairs its efficiency and reduces its usage. Further, providing dedicated keyboards renders them largely useless for a computer workstation running multiple clinical applications. Attaching multiple dedicated interface devices to a single workstation is impractical and clogs available desktop real estate.